by Mark Chandik | Sep 30, 2024
On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve announced a 50-basis point (bp, 1 bp = 0.01%) rate cut for the fed funds rate to 4.75 – 5.00%, its first reduction since 2020. The announcement marks the end of the most aggressive rate-hike cycle since 1980 when the Fed funds rate...
by Mark Chandik | Sep 16, 2024
All indications point to a rate cut by the Federal Reserve this week. What’s behind the Fed’s rationale? Let’s look at three key metrics. Aided by lower gasoline prices and stable prices for consumer goods, the rate of inflation has slowed dramatically. Inflation has...
by Mark Chandik | Sep 9, 2024
Market pullbacks are to be expected. They are incorporated into the financial plan. But like an unexpected traffic jam, they are exceedingly difficult to predict. Early August was one such event. The turbulence began at the end of July in the wake of seemingly minor...
by Mark Chandik | Sep 3, 2024
Overbuilding, speculation, and easy access to credit encouraged a housing boom and a bust in the 2000s. Sales cratered later in the decade, and along with it, prices tumbled. Today, housing sales have plummeted once again. According to the National Association of...
by Mark Chandik | Aug 26, 2024
Fed Chief Powell’s much-anticipated speech against the picturesque backdrop of the Grand Tetons in Jackson Hole, WY, virtually assures that the Fed will reduce interest rates next month. In a short 16-minute speech, Powell said the magic words. “The time has come for...
by Mark Chandik | Aug 19, 2024
Markets settled down in Japan, and the latest economic reports in the U.S. aren’t signaling that the economy is headed for an imminent recession. These factors sparked a strong rally in U.S. stocks last week. Led by a 3.6% rise in auto sales, the U.S. Census Bureau...
